2/03/2012

Red Velvet Blossoms/Thumbprints

I like a cookie after a sandwich. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so I thought I would make a batch of these and share the recipe with you.

I love red velvet anything, especially the cake. The hint of chocolate and the rosy red color make it so appealing. So when I came across this recipe I knew it would be a keeper, especially because it calls for a bit more cocoa powder than a usual red velvet recipe. More chocolate flavor is fine by me!

Normally, I am a butter gal when it comes to red velvet, but I was willing to give the oil a go in this recipe. To be honest, I actually tried it with both and oil won. Not that the butter didn't taste good, but the texture and color weren't quite right. They were flatter, chewier, and darker. So my only modifications to the original were to add some vanilla extract, reduce the oven temperature, and make some thumbprints out of the blossoms. Those of you who like to nibble around the chocolate and then pop the kiss in your mouth-- stick with the blossoms. But if you are like me and you like a little chocolate with each bite of cookie, go with the thumbprint.

*Note-- if your kitchen temperature is on the warm side, you might want to place the dough in the refrigerator to firm up a bit to make for easier rolling.

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, combine the oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until no brown sugar lumps remain. Add the egg and mix until creamy. Mix in the food color, vanilla, and vinegar. Add the flour mixture and mix until completely combined. Using a scant 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop the dough into balls. Roll each ball gently between the palms of your hands for a smooth and uniform surface. Place the balls (12 at a time) onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until puffed and the edges are set, about 12 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and press a chocolate candy in the center of each cookie. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. For thumbprints, gently tap the cookie on the counter to collapse the warm candy. Enjoy!

Like flour, scoop and level your cocoa powder. Packing it with a measuring cup results in too much cocoa. If you are using a rich and dark cocoa powder, they will come out darker. You can also tweak the color to you liking by adjusting the amount of coloring. Hope this helps!

Oh my goodness, I've been looking everywhere for a recipe like this!! They look lovely!

I absolutely adore your recipes and your lovely site but I'm usually too shy to comment on any blog. I was wondering if it would be okay if I modify this recipe a bit (due to health reasons) and re-post it on my infant-blog and give credit to you and your wonderful site and your source?

Thank you so much Nicole! I know that I'm going to enjoy them and I'm sure everyone else I send one to will as well. I can't wait to try them out! At least one will be in my belly come tomorrow morning - cookies for breakfast sounds pretty darn good to me!

I make these for all the best occasions, everyone loves them! I put a little powdered sugar ontop instead of the kisses :) Bout to go make some now to bring to my boyfriends family, I know they'll make a good impression :)